After showing signs of a potential upset in the first half, the NC State men’s basketball team fell flat as the No. 7 Virginia Cavaliers dominated in the second half, handing the Pack a 73-53 loss.
After making 52.2 percent of its shots from the field in the first half, the Wolfpack (13-13, 3-10 ACC) shot at just 29.2 percent in the second, as Virginia (21-5, 10-4 ACC) tightened up its defense. The Cavs, on the other hand, shot at 63 percent in the second after shooting at 44.4 percent in the first.
The Pack started off hot, jumping out to a 15-9 lead just 4:33 into the game. However, it then went on a 3:57 scoring drought, allowing Virginia to climb back into the game. This sparked an 8-3 Cavs run, allowing them to take their first lead of the game, 20-18, with 10:06 left in the first half. Then, State countered with a 7-1 run to regain the lead, 25-21, with 7:50 remaining in the half.
The tables turned once again, with Virginia going on an 8-0 run to take a 31-27 lead with 2:50 left in the first. The Pack battled back, tying it up going into halftime.
NC State struggled with turnovers in the first half, turning the ball over eight times and allowing Virginia to score 14 points off of its mistakes.
The second half looked like a completely different game. The Cavs came out guns blazing, going on a 13-2 run in the first 4:24 to take a 44-33 lead. The Wolfpack attempted a comeback, closing the gap to seven with 12 minutes left, but it never got closer for the remainder of the game.
From the 12-minute mark on, Virginia outscored NC State 27-17 to cap off the second-half domination, including a 24-7 run in an 8:41 span. In the second half, the Cavaliers outscored the Pack 42-22 after being tied heading into the intermission.
Junior guard Cat Barber led the Wolfpack in scoring with 14 points and five rebounds. Sophomore forward Cody Martin was next on the scoresheet with 12 points and a team-high six rebounds. Senior guard Malcolm Brogdon led the Cavs with 22 points and five assists, while junior guard London Perrantes put up 19 points and five assists.
The Pack looks to bounce back Saturday as it takes on Clemson at 3 p.m. in PNC Arena.
